August 8, 2025 • 19 mins
In this heartfelt episode, Wayne D sits down with country music legend Trisha Yearwood to talk about her brand-new album and the stories behind the songs. From her journey as a songwriter to the emotional depth she pours into her music, Trisha opens up about what inspires her and how writing has evolved for her over the years.They also dive into the powerful connection she shares with her fans—how their stories fuel her creativity and how she stays grounded through it all. It’s a candid, warm, and inspiring conversation that celebrates artistry, authenticity, and the enduring spirit of country music.📀 Highlights include:
- Behind-the-scenes of her new album
- Trisha’s approach to songwriting and storytelling
- The evolving relationship between artist and audience
- Personal reflections on fame, feedback, and fan love
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
First of all, let me tell you, I have a
career wise never been able to interview you. I met
you once at stage coach. I met you once at
Friends down the street, and that might have been in
really so it's it's an absolute pleasure. Oh no, I
talked to you at the Preds game because I host
I also host the Preads games.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Yes we did, that's right. I'm like, no, I know you.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
I was like, maybe it's from America's Most Wanted, but
I feel like I know it is.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Listen, I have been arrested, but it's for being handsome.
What you said that before. That's why they were like,
never mind, we let you go right away.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
It's been a great interview. Thanks so much.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Thanks, I'll see you next time. You have so much
going on, so congratulations. First of all for that, thank you,
But I have to I wanted to start with you
have done music at a high level for so long,
which isn't common for artists to achieve the success that
is maintained over the years. But you've always added extra
(01:00):
whether it's you know, at cooking show, cookbook, all this
other stuff. Why is it important for you to be
more than just Trisha the singer.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
It's funny, you know, when I when I look back
and I talk about my history, especially I go to
talk about how I got how I got my record deal,
and how the cooking show happened. If I were to
look back and write a book about it all, I
would probably just say I have no idea, you know,
that would be it would be a short book, because
it's like, I never was a I'm not a person
still who's like, well, here's where I see myself in
(01:33):
five years or ten years. I've always just been open
to the opportunities as they've come. And I all I
ever wanted to be was a singer. I mean I
knew at five I was this is what I wanted
to do, and I was just had to figure out
a way to do it. And what happens, And you
know this, when you become successful and some in one area,
you get a lot of opportunities to do a lot
of other stuff, somethings you probably should.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Do and some things you probably shouldn't do, you know.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
And so I had gone to New York to take
meetings about writing an autobiography, and I just I took
the meetings at a courtesy. I really didn't want to
do it because I'm like I was like, I was
probably almost forty, and I was like, I don't I'm
not ready to write the book and probably won't never anyway.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
I just don't think that's what I want to do.
I won't tell the stories everybody wants to know anyway.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
So so the one of the publishers says, well, what
would you like to write about, because we feel like
people would listen to you, And I said, well, I
like to cook. I mean, it wasn't premeditated in any way,
and when I left New York, I had volunteered my
mom and my sister to write a cookbook with me,
so that.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Opportunity just kind of came out of nowhere.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
I thought it would be a one and done book
for my family to have all the recipes in one place,
and then we had a New York Times bestseller, so
then we had to write another book, and then we
did a show. So so all that to say that
I'm glad looking back, I'm glad because I think that
especially during the time that I was living in Oklahoma
raising three girls with Garth and not touring, not making records,
(02:55):
the cooking show and the books kept me engaged with people,
so it was wonderful thing, so that when I did
come back and make a record, I hadn't really gone away.
I'd gone away in one way, but not another. And
so I feel like it was it looks like it was.
It feels like it looks like it was smart, but
it wasn't really planned.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
It was just like, this is kind of what happened.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
And that's how the collaborations with williams Sonma the furniture line.
Everything has kind of come out of where you're successful
in one area and then I'm at a place in
my life where I choose the things that I think
I'll enjoy and the people I enjoy working with and
things I think i'd like to do.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
And you don't have to answer this, but what is
something that you had to say no to that didn't
fit where you were, it didn't fit your personality. What's
an opportunity that came up that you're like, Eh, that's
not me.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
I mean, there's been a lot of things, and sometimes
it's not it's not a negative thing, it's just that's
not really my thing. The thing that popped into my
head back in the nineties, there were a lot of
those weight loss things, you know that they'd hire spokes
firston four and they offered you so much much money
to be a part of it.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
And first of.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
All, I always wanted to lose weight, you know, and
and it's like this would be great, and then but
then the other fear is I'll do the thing, I'll
be the spokesperson, I'll lose the weight, and then I'll
go out and eat a cheeseburger and I'll gain it
all back, and then I won't be the spokesperson anymore.
And I just didn't want anything. And I mean I
struggled already with my weight. I didn't want it to
be a public thing. And so even though it is
(04:23):
when you're you know, in the public eye, So that
was something that was like the money.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Was fantastic, but I just didn't feel like it was
the right thing for me.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
I get that you are a phenomenal cook. I mean,
from what I see, I haven't tried it. You're a
phenomenal singer, and you obviously have success turning yourself into
a bibblehead because you became a bobblehead for the National
Credits this year as well. Is that weird to know
that ten thousand fans walked walked away and brought trisay
(04:51):
year with home with them.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
It was it's a little bit weird, but you know
what It's like, there's things in my career like I
was a puzzle on Will of Fortune, I got to
be on Sesame Street. There's like these milestone things that like,
I'm a bobblehead like I was.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
That was on the list right, and it's just it's
really cool. So when they.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Asked me about it, I had seen that Keith Urban
had been holding a catfish on his and so I said,
can I do mine with the rescue dog because I
do rescue and uh so they let me do it
with Smash. So I'm really pumped that I not only
have my own bobblehead, but I have the dog and
his head also bobbles, So I mean, it's it's it's
kind of a big deal.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Listen two for one, you are about to put out
a new Elements a Lot. You put out a new
song called Mirror today off of that, I also saw
this is the first time you co wrote and co
produced your entire every song on there. Yeah, why why
now is that? Why did this feel like the right
time for you to do that.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
You know, it's interesting.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
I never really called myself a writer, And in fact,
if you go back and look at every interview if
that I've ever done until now, I always I was
just not a confident writer. I had written some early on,
and I had come to Nashville, you know, with all
of my bad poetry from high school, and I was
in college and I had a buddy of mine who
looked at all my stuff and said, yeah, you're a
(06:09):
good singer, but you're not really a songwriter. And he
wouldn't never remember saying this, and I don't even know
where he is today. But I no offense to him.
I don't hold a grudge, but obviously I'm talking about him.
But I let it be the truth about me for
a long time, and it took me a really long
time to kind of stop saying that, to kind of go, hey,
just because somebody said that about you, you get to
(06:29):
decide what the truth is about you.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Not somebody else.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
And something just kind of clicked about three years ago
and I started writing, and in a different way I
had written before. But I even told my husband, who's
in all the Songwriters Hall of fams. I'm like, you
should write with me now because I'm a lot more
fun to write with because I'm not. I was my
own worst send to me, and I just made it
really hard. I was afraid to say, Hey, what about
this idea? And what I've learned is that every writer
(06:53):
goes into the room with a blank piece of paper
and they all I sit with writers who have so
much success, and the first thing they'll say is like,
this might be a dumb idea, but what about I'm
like you, you're saying that that's what I say.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Not what you say.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
So it's been such an eye opening, incredible experience, and
I really just started doing it for me. And then
over the course of time, everybody in my life, including
my husband, said you need to make a record these songs,
and so I was really I was really nervous about
it at first because I've had my career has been
about choosing really good songs so the song members win
(07:27):
and she's in love with the boy. And I made
all those records with another Garth, Garth Fundus, who is
one of my dear friends and a great producer and
a great song man. So I didn't want anybody to
think that I thought I had written something better than
Walkaway Joe, and that's.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Not what this is.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
But but I've got to goten to a place where
I'm not even worried about that anymore. It's like this
is just what I've been doing. It's like I'm a
painter and I made it. I painted a painting. I
hope you love it, and if you don't, that's cool,
But I'm just not. I'm just I just feel it
was like it's like a freedom. It's like, now that
this has happened, I'm not sure. I mean, I mean,
I already have enough songs for a couple more albums,
you know, So I'm not I'm sure what's coming next.
(08:01):
But I'm I'm just really enjoying it. It's like I've
discovered something new. And I just turned sixty last year,
so I'm shocked that I'm sitting here going, man, I
just found something new that is just making me so happy.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
It's so different, you know, but it's been really cool.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
You must look good for sixty, because when you said
I just turned sixty, tay, when.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Well, I have a filter on tey.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
And also I'm definitely considering what's coming next. I mean
I always said, I always said I would never do
anything to my face, But I was also thirty when.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
I said that, So you know, we'll see what I
look like next time you to see me.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
You talked about the confidence to be a writer, now
that you're in that space where maybe you didn't even
need the confidence, You just had to get out of
your own way mentally. We don't know a lot about
the album other than we know Mirror is out. We
know it's coming out July eighteenth. Is there a song
on there? Knowing that you've put yourself out there as
(08:55):
a creative more than you ever have musically with this project?
Is there a song on there that was a harder? Right?
Are maybe means a little more than the rest of
them that you can tell us about? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (09:06):
I mean I think you know, as a as an artist,
I've always, like I said, chosen songs that really feel
like their mind when I'm done with them. But I
could always if somebody said, oh, is that is that personal?
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Is that about you?
Speaker 3 (09:16):
I could always say no, I didn't write that, so
you know, But now I can't say that about any
song on this record, and every song is not one
hundred percent autobiographical, but I will say that a lot
of these songs feel like songs to my younger self.
The Mirror is a song about, you know, giving ourselves
grace when you're younger, and if you could, just if
you could, if if that young Tricia at twenty two
(09:39):
could see this Tricia, she'd go, Oh, everything's gonna be okay,
and you're gonna get to a place that you're going
to feel so comfortable in your own skin. If you could,
just if we could just do that for ourselves, which
of course we can't. The most I think raw honest
song on this record is a song called Fearless these Days,
and it's not a song about.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Like I'm fearless, bring it on.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
It's more of IM good, and it's like it when
I was younger and I made a mistake or like
a relation, a failed relationship, a divorce, I was embarrassed,
you know, and I was I didn't want to I
didn't want to talk about it. I didn't want to
admit I'd failed, and so I would almost just pretend
it never happened.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
You know. There were I had friends who didn't even
know I've been married before, because I was just like
I just it just didn't exist. You know, I made
that mistake.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
It's over and I've gotten to a place where it's
like all the things that happened to you in your
life make you who you are. And we we we
don't we don't really learn that much from success, but
we learn a lot from failure, and so so fearless
these days is really about, hey, I did these things.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Here's who I was when I was.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
Young, and you don't know until you know. And you
got to give yourself some grace for that and give
yourself a break.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
You are somebody who has always been so good to
your fans. Uh. And I'm sure you attribute that to like, hey,
if if people weren't buying records, I wouldn't get to
do what I love. Right. You are about to make
an appearance at the Opry and you're also doing a
signing of the new album that day. Yeah, uh, and
(11:07):
you're literally signing for everybody that has the album or
whether it's vinyl or CD. You might be there a minute.
Why is it important for you to be able to
give back in that way?
Speaker 3 (11:19):
Well, I mean it's it's also something that's unique to
country music. You know, we're a genre that has always
been accessible. So if you are a fan of somebody
in country music, you've got a good chance over your
lifetime to meet them. I mean, that's that's unique to us.
Country music has always been very accessible. And I'm also
(11:39):
an artist who is my persona like, who I am
on stage is really not wildly different at all from
the person I am off stage. So I except for
maybe you know, a little more makeup and a little
more confident on stage than I am off stage, although
I'm getting a lot more. Those two women are getting
to be a lot closer in confidence. So I've always
(12:01):
wanted to be able to chant, to say hello, this
is what we do every time, and you know more
now more than ever. When you say album sales, record sales,
I mean that's just as that's a word. Some people
are like, I don't even know what that means anymore,
you know, because people physical product is not something that
you know. It's what drove us in the nineties, and
it's not that way anymore. So when I get a
(12:22):
chance to go out and actually for people to have
the physical thing in their hands, I want to say
thank you so much, and can I sign all of
them for you please, so I'm looking forward to it.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
You brought up Garth a little while ago. Obviously, you
guys have successfully opened the friends and little places down here.
You're a big part of that as well. Tay and
I got to be at like the like little grand
opening sneak peak thing that was awesome. But with that,
we talked to Garth when he put out the single
(12:52):
with Ronnie Dunn its over almost probably close to two
years ago, and he said he doesn't have an answer.
I asked him, what is his least favorite song of yours?
He goes, oh, gosh, I don't have an answer, because
it's easy to be like, oh, I love this song,
it's my favorite. If the roles were reversed, what's the
song of his? You'd be like, I like all your music,
(13:14):
but if this one did never came out, it would
be Okay.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
That's a good that's a good question.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
I mean, I sang on most of the ones that
were really big hits, so you know, you're welcome.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
We'll take that. We'll take that.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
I don't know, that is a it's like, I don't
I have.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Actually, most of my my favorite art songs are mostly
songs that weren't singles, you know, Like I'm more of
the deep cuts girl anyway, even on my own records,
so you know, some of my favorite songs are and
I'm also the biggest fan of the Chris Gaynes record.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
I think it's one of the best records ever. So
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
I mean, he probably could tell you what he thinks
I don't like, but I don't. I don't, I can't,
I can't. I can't talk about it.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
We'll leave it at that in case he's in the
next room. I don't need We don't need.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
That right now.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
We do not.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
As you look at your career and the things. Obviously,
the accolades are fantastic. My minimal interactions with you, I
can tell the accolades have not been the motivation on
why you stand where you stand today. So what are
some of the special moments that if you put this
album out and decided never to put another album out again,
So from now to the first single you ever put out,
(14:25):
what are moments that you're like, Wow, that was really
special to me.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
I think it's been one being a part of a
community that I admire and respect so much, and that
goes to some of the friendships I've made in this industry.
That are people that I grew up listening to the
fact that I'm friends with Emilu Harris, you know who.
Emulu is that north star for me as far as
like a person who I feel like her career has
(14:49):
always been about what is right for her, and she's
been really successful, and she's stayed true to herself and
she's still she's revered, you know, in our industry, and
so I she's kind of the benchmark to me. So
to those people getting a chance to work with Don
Henley and become friends with him, somebody that I, you know,
grew up listening to the Eagles, I mean, who didn't,
(15:09):
And to be able to call these folks my friends.
I got to play a song or two for Emmy
Lou and for her to respond and say that's so beautiful,
you know or whatever, you know, some a compliment from
someone who's a hero of mine. Those are the moments,
you know, when I when all is said and done,
you know, I'm not going to be clutching the Grammy.
(15:29):
I Well, maybe I will, we don't know, but I'll
be thinking.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
I think about the experiences, you know.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
I got to sing with Pavarotti in Italy, you know
in the nineties, like that wasn't on the list, you know.
So I think it's those experiences of being on you know,
being in Ireland two three years ago with Garth, watching
ninety thousand people all night lose their minds, getting to
be on that stage and feel that energy those moments,
and getting to sing and know my heroes. Those are
(15:57):
the things that I'm like, Wow, this is this has
been such a ride and such an experience.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
And to continue to be having, you know, getting.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
To do this since ninety one in this way, on
this level, I feel so grateful.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
And those are the things that those are the things that.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
I'll remember knowing that this is the first album that
you and the first package of songs that you have
co written and co produced. I'd imagine there's some big
songs that have come up that you passed on which
aren't necessarily like negative things to those songs. I love
asking this question because we've gotten answers like from Kenny
Chesney passed on check yes or No and it ended
(16:35):
up massive for the King, right, what was Jacob and
passed on Big Green Tractor ended up huge for l Dean,
Is there a song like that for you? And again,
it just has to feel right, It just has to
feel authentic. Are there songs like that for you that
we not now know belonging to somebody else? Oh?
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Yeah, there's a really big one I passed on Strawberry Wine.
Yeah it's fine. So I mean, Dina Carter sold like
four million records on that one song, So it's fine.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
I've let it go. But here's what's funny about it.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
Garth bund Is, my producer, brought it to me and
Materesa Berg co write and I've recorded a bunch of
Montraca songs. I love her, And there was something about, like,
you know, I guess this was like ninety I don't know,
mid nineties, and I was like, I don't know. I
just I feel like it's a song about her losing
her virginity, and I just feel like, maybe, you know,
my little eight year old she's a love of the
(17:31):
boy fans. But then a few years later I recorded
a song called Georgia Rain, which is basically about that
happening in a truck. So I guess I just evolved
from and I do believe one hundred percent the serious
truth is songs.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
End uphere they're supposed to.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
If I would have recorded Strawberry Wine, it's not like
it would have sold four million copies for me. You
never know how it's gonna go. The songs get to
the place they're supposed to be. That song was so
Dina Carter. But I do every you know, when I
asked that question, I'm like, yep, it was Strawberry Wine.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
That was a that was kind of a big song,
no big deal.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
Last thing I want to ask is we're wrapping things up,
the songs that you have held onto and you have
put out, what are ones that this point to this
day that you're surprised that, Like maybe you didn't think
we're going to work, or you put out you didn't
think it was gonna you know what I mean, Like
they ended up way bigger than you could have imagined.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Well, the first one was She's Loved the Boy.
Speaker 3 (18:24):
I mean, you know, I'm a new artist and I
recorded the song because I liked it. It was a
good story. I mean, I had no idea what was
going to happen. I didn't, you know, no expectation. Most
of at that time, artists, like the biggest stars like
Raebon McIntyre had made several albums before she hit it
really big, you know, so I wasn't. My expectation was
just like, I want to make Top forty. You know,
it'd be so cool if I had a song on
(18:45):
the top forty. And I remember as it was rising,
you know, just watching it go and thinking what is happening?
And that song, you know, obviously, will always be the
biggest song in my career. And I don't think anybody
saw it coming. Anybody today who says they did, they
they're lying they didn't know.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
And then the other one is how do I live?
Speaker 3 (19:04):
You know, I I was, I was nine years into
a career and we were doing okay, but we we
didn't we had not had like I think, I don't know,
the latest big hit been maybe Walkaway Joe, and and
that song came along as an opportunity that I never
would have asked for. You know, I didn't know that
LeAnn Rimes was gonna release a version of it. I mean,
(19:26):
it was all so crazy, and she was selling a
gazillion records a minute at that moment, and that song resonated,
and I think, honestly, the fact that we both released it.
She had a number one at pop and we had
a number one at country. Probably made a big, a
bigger record for both of us. Yeah, So that was
a that was a thing that I did not expect
that came along and just blew up.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
The new album is out July eighteenth. Song Mirror is
out now operate the nineteenth and then hand cramps for
days for all the autographs that are coming
First of all, let me tell you, I have a
career wise never been able to interview you. I met
you once at stage coach. I met you once at
Friends down the street, and that might have been in
really so it's it's an absolute pleasure. Oh no, I
talked to you at the Preds game because I host
I also host the Preads games.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Yes we did, that's right. I'm like, no, I know you.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
I was like, maybe it's from America's Most Wanted, but
I feel like I know it is.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Listen, I have been arrested, but it's for being handsome.
What you said that before. That's why they were like,
never mind, we let you go right away.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
It's been a great interview. Thanks so much.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Thanks, I'll see you next time. You have so much
going on, so congratulations. First of all for that, thank you,
But I have to I wanted to start with you
have done music at a high level for so long,
which isn't common for artists to achieve the success that
is maintained over the years. But you've always added extra
(01:00):
whether it's you know, at cooking show, cookbook, all this
other stuff. Why is it important for you to be
more than just Trisha the singer.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
It's funny, you know, when I when I look back
and I talk about my history, especially I go to
talk about how I got how I got my record deal,
and how the cooking show happened. If I were to
look back and write a book about it all, I
would probably just say I have no idea, you know,
that would be it would be a short book, because
it's like, I never was a I'm not a person
still who's like, well, here's where I see myself in
(01:33):
five years or ten years. I've always just been open
to the opportunities as they've come. And I all I
ever wanted to be was a singer. I mean I
knew at five I was this is what I wanted
to do, and I was just had to figure out
a way to do it. And what happens, And you
know this, when you become successful and some in one area,
you get a lot of opportunities to do a lot
of other stuff, somethings you probably should.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Do and some things you probably shouldn't do, you know.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
And so I had gone to New York to take
meetings about writing an autobiography, and I just I took
the meetings at a courtesy. I really didn't want to
do it because I'm like I was like, I was
probably almost forty, and I was like, I don't I'm
not ready to write the book and probably won't never anyway.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
I just don't think that's what I want to do.
I won't tell the stories everybody wants to know anyway.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
So so the one of the publishers says, well, what
would you like to write about, because we feel like
people would listen to you, And I said, well, I
like to cook. I mean, it wasn't premeditated in any way,
and when I left New York, I had volunteered my
mom and my sister to write a cookbook with me,
so that.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Opportunity just kind of came out of nowhere.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
I thought it would be a one and done book
for my family to have all the recipes in one place,
and then we had a New York Times bestseller, so
then we had to write another book, and then we
did a show. So so all that to say that
I'm glad looking back, I'm glad because I think that
especially during the time that I was living in Oklahoma
raising three girls with Garth and not touring, not making records,
(02:55):
the cooking show and the books kept me engaged with people,
so it was wonderful thing, so that when I did
come back and make a record, I hadn't really gone away.
I'd gone away in one way, but not another. And
so I feel like it was it looks like it was.
It feels like it looks like it was smart, but
it wasn't really planned.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
It was just like, this is kind of what happened.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
And that's how the collaborations with williams Sonma the furniture line.
Everything has kind of come out of where you're successful
in one area and then I'm at a place in
my life where I choose the things that I think
I'll enjoy and the people I enjoy working with and
things I think i'd like to do.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
And you don't have to answer this, but what is
something that you had to say no to that didn't
fit where you were, it didn't fit your personality. What's
an opportunity that came up that you're like, Eh, that's
not me.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
I mean, there's been a lot of things, and sometimes
it's not it's not a negative thing, it's just that's
not really my thing. The thing that popped into my
head back in the nineties, there were a lot of
those weight loss things, you know that they'd hire spokes
firston four and they offered you so much much money
to be a part of it.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
And first of.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
All, I always wanted to lose weight, you know, and
and it's like this would be great, and then but
then the other fear is I'll do the thing, I'll
be the spokesperson, I'll lose the weight, and then I'll
go out and eat a cheeseburger and I'll gain it
all back, and then I won't be the spokesperson anymore.
And I just didn't want anything. And I mean I
struggled already with my weight. I didn't want it to
be a public thing. And so even though it is
(04:23):
when you're you know, in the public eye, So that
was something that was like the money.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Was fantastic, but I just didn't feel like it was
the right thing for me.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
I get that you are a phenomenal cook. I mean,
from what I see, I haven't tried it. You're a
phenomenal singer, and you obviously have success turning yourself into
a bibblehead because you became a bobblehead for the National
Credits this year as well. Is that weird to know
that ten thousand fans walked walked away and brought trisay
(04:51):
year with home with them.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
It was it's a little bit weird, but you know
what It's like, there's things in my career like I
was a puzzle on Will of Fortune, I got to
be on Sesame Street. There's like these milestone things that like,
I'm a bobblehead like I was.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
That was on the list right, and it's just it's
really cool. So when they.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Asked me about it, I had seen that Keith Urban
had been holding a catfish on his and so I said,
can I do mine with the rescue dog because I
do rescue and uh so they let me do it
with Smash. So I'm really pumped that I not only
have my own bobblehead, but I have the dog and
his head also bobbles, So I mean, it's it's it's
kind of a big deal.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Listen two for one, you are about to put out
a new Elements a Lot. You put out a new
song called Mirror today off of that, I also saw
this is the first time you co wrote and co
produced your entire every song on there. Yeah, why why
now is that? Why did this feel like the right
time for you to do that.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
You know, it's interesting.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
I never really called myself a writer, And in fact,
if you go back and look at every interview if
that I've ever done until now, I always I was
just not a confident writer. I had written some early on,
and I had come to Nashville, you know, with all
of my bad poetry from high school, and I was
in college and I had a buddy of mine who
looked at all my stuff and said, yeah, you're a
(06:09):
good singer, but you're not really a songwriter. And he
wouldn't never remember saying this, and I don't even know
where he is today. But I no offense to him.
I don't hold a grudge, but obviously I'm talking about him.
But I let it be the truth about me for
a long time, and it took me a really long
time to kind of stop saying that, to kind of go, hey,
just because somebody said that about you, you get to
(06:29):
decide what the truth is about you.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Not somebody else.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
And something just kind of clicked about three years ago
and I started writing, and in a different way I
had written before. But I even told my husband, who's
in all the Songwriters Hall of fams. I'm like, you
should write with me now because I'm a lot more
fun to write with because I'm not. I was my
own worst send to me, and I just made it
really hard. I was afraid to say, Hey, what about
this idea? And what I've learned is that every writer
(06:53):
goes into the room with a blank piece of paper
and they all I sit with writers who have so
much success, and the first thing they'll say is like,
this might be a dumb idea, but what about I'm
like you, you're saying that that's what I say.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Not what you say.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
So it's been such an eye opening, incredible experience, and
I really just started doing it for me. And then
over the course of time, everybody in my life, including
my husband, said you need to make a record these songs,
and so I was really I was really nervous about
it at first because I've had my career has been
about choosing really good songs so the song members win
(07:27):
and she's in love with the boy. And I made
all those records with another Garth, Garth Fundus, who is
one of my dear friends and a great producer and
a great song man. So I didn't want anybody to
think that I thought I had written something better than
Walkaway Joe, and that's.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Not what this is.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
But but I've got to goten to a place where
I'm not even worried about that anymore. It's like this
is just what I've been doing. It's like I'm a
painter and I made it. I painted a painting. I
hope you love it, and if you don't, that's cool,
But I'm just not. I'm just I just feel it
was like it's like a freedom. It's like, now that
this has happened, I'm not sure. I mean, I mean,
I already have enough songs for a couple more albums,
you know, So I'm not I'm sure what's coming next.
(08:01):
But I'm I'm just really enjoying it. It's like I've
discovered something new. And I just turned sixty last year,
so I'm shocked that I'm sitting here going, man, I
just found something new that is just making me so happy.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
It's so different, you know, but it's been really cool.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
You must look good for sixty, because when you said
I just turned sixty, tay, when.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Well, I have a filter on tey.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
And also I'm definitely considering what's coming next. I mean
I always said, I always said I would never do
anything to my face, But I was also thirty when.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
I said that, So you know, we'll see what I
look like next time you to see me.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
You talked about the confidence to be a writer, now
that you're in that space where maybe you didn't even
need the confidence, You just had to get out of
your own way mentally. We don't know a lot about
the album other than we know Mirror is out. We
know it's coming out July eighteenth. Is there a song
on there? Knowing that you've put yourself out there as
(08:55):
a creative more than you ever have musically with this project?
Is there a song on there that was a harder? Right?
Are maybe means a little more than the rest of
them that you can tell us about? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (09:06):
I mean I think you know, as a as an artist,
I've always, like I said, chosen songs that really feel
like their mind when I'm done with them. But I
could always if somebody said, oh, is that is that personal?
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Is that about you?
Speaker 3 (09:16):
I could always say no, I didn't write that, so
you know, But now I can't say that about any
song on this record, and every song is not one
hundred percent autobiographical, but I will say that a lot
of these songs feel like songs to my younger self.
The Mirror is a song about, you know, giving ourselves
grace when you're younger, and if you could, just if
you could, if if that young Tricia at twenty two
(09:39):
could see this Tricia, she'd go, Oh, everything's gonna be okay,
and you're gonna get to a place that you're going
to feel so comfortable in your own skin. If you could,
just if we could just do that for ourselves, which
of course we can't. The most I think raw honest
song on this record is a song called Fearless these Days,
and it's not a song about.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Like I'm fearless, bring it on.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
It's more of IM good, and it's like it when
I was younger and I made a mistake or like
a relation, a failed relationship, a divorce, I was embarrassed,
you know, and I was I didn't want to I
didn't want to talk about it. I didn't want to
admit I'd failed, and so I would almost just pretend
it never happened.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
You know. There were I had friends who didn't even
know I've been married before, because I was just like
I just it just didn't exist. You know, I made
that mistake.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
It's over and I've gotten to a place where it's
like all the things that happened to you in your
life make you who you are. And we we we
don't we don't really learn that much from success, but
we learn a lot from failure, and so so fearless
these days is really about, hey, I did these things.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Here's who I was when I was.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
Young, and you don't know until you know. And you
got to give yourself some grace for that and give
yourself a break.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
You are somebody who has always been so good to
your fans. Uh. And I'm sure you attribute that to like, hey,
if if people weren't buying records, I wouldn't get to
do what I love. Right. You are about to make
an appearance at the Opry and you're also doing a
signing of the new album that day. Yeah, uh, and
(11:07):
you're literally signing for everybody that has the album or
whether it's vinyl or CD. You might be there a minute.
Why is it important for you to be able to
give back in that way?
Speaker 3 (11:19):
Well, I mean it's it's also something that's unique to
country music. You know, we're a genre that has always
been accessible. So if you are a fan of somebody
in country music, you've got a good chance over your
lifetime to meet them. I mean, that's that's unique to us.
Country music has always been very accessible. And I'm also
(11:39):
an artist who is my persona like, who I am
on stage is really not wildly different at all from
the person I am off stage. So I except for
maybe you know, a little more makeup and a little
more confident on stage than I am off stage, although
I'm getting a lot more. Those two women are getting
to be a lot closer in confidence. So I've always
(12:01):
wanted to be able to chant, to say hello, this
is what we do every time, and you know more
now more than ever. When you say album sales, record sales,
I mean that's just as that's a word. Some people
are like, I don't even know what that means anymore,
you know, because people physical product is not something that
you know. It's what drove us in the nineties, and
it's not that way anymore. So when I get a
(12:22):
chance to go out and actually for people to have
the physical thing in their hands, I want to say
thank you so much, and can I sign all of
them for you please, so I'm looking forward to it.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
You brought up Garth a little while ago. Obviously, you
guys have successfully opened the friends and little places down here.
You're a big part of that as well. Tay and
I got to be at like the like little grand
opening sneak peak thing that was awesome. But with that,
we talked to Garth when he put out the single
(12:52):
with Ronnie Dunn its over almost probably close to two
years ago, and he said he doesn't have an answer.
I asked him, what is his least favorite song of yours?
He goes, oh, gosh, I don't have an answer, because
it's easy to be like, oh, I love this song,
it's my favorite. If the roles were reversed, what's the
song of his? You'd be like, I like all your music,
(13:14):
but if this one did never came out, it would
be Okay.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
That's a good that's a good question.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
I mean, I sang on most of the ones that
were really big hits, so you know, you're welcome.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
We'll take that. We'll take that.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
I don't know, that is a it's like, I don't
I have.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Actually, most of my my favorite art songs are mostly
songs that weren't singles, you know, Like I'm more of
the deep cuts girl anyway, even on my own records,
so you know, some of my favorite songs are and
I'm also the biggest fan of the Chris Gaynes record.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
I think it's one of the best records ever. So
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
I mean, he probably could tell you what he thinks
I don't like, but I don't. I don't, I can't,
I can't. I can't talk about it.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
We'll leave it at that in case he's in the
next room. I don't need We don't need.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
That right now.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
We do not.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
As you look at your career and the things. Obviously,
the accolades are fantastic. My minimal interactions with you, I
can tell the accolades have not been the motivation on
why you stand where you stand today. So what are
some of the special moments that if you put this
album out and decided never to put another album out again,
So from now to the first single you ever put out,
(14:25):
what are moments that you're like, Wow, that was really
special to me.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
I think it's been one being a part of a
community that I admire and respect so much, and that
goes to some of the friendships I've made in this industry.
That are people that I grew up listening to the
fact that I'm friends with Emilu Harris, you know who.
Emulu is that north star for me as far as
like a person who I feel like her career has
(14:49):
always been about what is right for her, and she's
been really successful, and she's stayed true to herself and
she's still she's revered, you know, in our industry, and
so I she's kind of the benchmark to me. So
to those people getting a chance to work with Don
Henley and become friends with him, somebody that I, you know,
grew up listening to the Eagles, I mean, who didn't,
(15:09):
And to be able to call these folks my friends.
I got to play a song or two for Emmy
Lou and for her to respond and say that's so beautiful,
you know or whatever, you know, some a compliment from
someone who's a hero of mine. Those are the moments,
you know, when I when all is said and done,
you know, I'm not going to be clutching the Grammy.
(15:29):
I Well, maybe I will, we don't know, but I'll
be thinking.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
I think about the experiences, you know.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
I got to sing with Pavarotti in Italy, you know
in the nineties, like that wasn't on the list, you know.
So I think it's those experiences of being on you know,
being in Ireland two three years ago with Garth, watching
ninety thousand people all night lose their minds, getting to
be on that stage and feel that energy those moments,
and getting to sing and know my heroes. Those are
(15:57):
the things that I'm like, Wow, this is this has
been such a ride and such an experience.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
And to continue to be having, you know, getting.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
To do this since ninety one in this way, on
this level, I feel so grateful.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
And those are the things that those are the things that.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
I'll remember knowing that this is the first album that
you and the first package of songs that you have
co written and co produced. I'd imagine there's some big
songs that have come up that you passed on which
aren't necessarily like negative things to those songs. I love
asking this question because we've gotten answers like from Kenny
Chesney passed on check yes or No and it ended
(16:35):
up massive for the King, right, what was Jacob and
passed on Big Green Tractor ended up huge for l Dean,
Is there a song like that for you? And again,
it just has to feel right, It just has to
feel authentic. Are there songs like that for you that
we not now know belonging to somebody else? Oh?
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Yeah, there's a really big one I passed on Strawberry Wine.
Yeah it's fine. So I mean, Dina Carter sold like
four million records on that one song, So it's fine.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
I've let it go. But here's what's funny about it.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
Garth bund Is, my producer, brought it to me and
Materesa Berg co write and I've recorded a bunch of
Montraca songs. I love her, And there was something about, like,
you know, I guess this was like ninety I don't know,
mid nineties, and I was like, I don't know. I
just I feel like it's a song about her losing
her virginity, and I just feel like, maybe, you know,
my little eight year old she's a love of the
(17:31):
boy fans. But then a few years later I recorded
a song called Georgia Rain, which is basically about that
happening in a truck. So I guess I just evolved
from and I do believe one hundred percent the serious
truth is songs.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
End uphere they're supposed to.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
If I would have recorded Strawberry Wine, it's not like
it would have sold four million copies for me. You
never know how it's gonna go. The songs get to
the place they're supposed to be. That song was so
Dina Carter. But I do every you know, when I
asked that question, I'm like, yep, it was Strawberry Wine.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
That was a that was kind of a big song,
no big deal.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
Last thing I want to ask is we're wrapping things up,
the songs that you have held onto and you have
put out, what are ones that this point to this
day that you're surprised that, Like maybe you didn't think
we're going to work, or you put out you didn't
think it was gonna you know what I mean, Like
they ended up way bigger than you could have imagined.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Well, the first one was She's Loved the Boy.
Speaker 3 (18:24):
I mean, you know, I'm a new artist and I
recorded the song because I liked it. It was a
good story. I mean, I had no idea what was
going to happen. I didn't, you know, no expectation. Most
of at that time, artists, like the biggest stars like
Raebon McIntyre had made several albums before she hit it
really big, you know, so I wasn't. My expectation was
just like, I want to make Top forty. You know,
it'd be so cool if I had a song on
(18:45):
the top forty. And I remember as it was rising,
you know, just watching it go and thinking what is happening?
And that song, you know, obviously, will always be the
biggest song in my career. And I don't think anybody
saw it coming. Anybody today who says they did, they
they're lying they didn't know.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
And then the other one is how do I live?
Speaker 3 (19:04):
You know, I I was, I was nine years into
a career and we were doing okay, but we we
didn't we had not had like I think, I don't know,
the latest big hit been maybe Walkaway Joe, and and
that song came along as an opportunity that I never
would have asked for. You know, I didn't know that
LeAnn Rimes was gonna release a version of it. I mean,
(19:26):
it was all so crazy, and she was selling a
gazillion records a minute at that moment, and that song resonated,
and I think, honestly, the fact that we both released it.
She had a number one at pop and we had
a number one at country. Probably made a big, a
bigger record for both of us. Yeah, So that was
a that was a thing that I did not expect
that came along and just blew up.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
The new album is out July eighteenth. Song Mirror is
out now operate the nineteenth and then hand cramps for
days for all the autographs that are coming
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.